Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon is asking for public feedback to inform his review of Wyoming’s existing Greater Sage grouse Executive Order. Comments are due by May 1 and should be submitted to wgfd.hpp@wyo.gov. This is an extension of the comment period announced earlier this year at the Sage Grouse Implementation Team meeting.
“Wyoming has been leading in sage grouse management for more than a decade, and one of our hallmarks has been stability and predictability for all involved,” Governor Gordon said. “I intend to use the public’s feedback to inform my review and help identify areas where we can improve upon what is already working while keeping a steady course.”
The governor stressed that the primary elements of the State’s Core Area Strategy and protections for the bird will remain unchanged. The governor plans to re-issue a sage-grouse Executive Order, hoping to improve upon existing elements of the State’s approach to sage-grouse conservation with an eye toward continuing the legacy that has helped protect sage-grouse and its habitat in Wyoming since 2007.
“Sage grouse are an important species to Wyoming,” the governor said. “The State has a significant interest in seeing that the bird remains protected while allowing for responsible development.”
ABOUT THE SAGE GROUSE EXECUTIVE ORDER
The Executive Order is the State of Wyoming’s primary regulatory mechanism to protect the species and its habitat. It outlines procedures that seek to minimize disturbance and incentivize development outside of designated “core population areas” for the bird. In Wyoming, the first Greater Sage-grouse core area protections were signed by Governor Dave Freudenthal in 2007 to establish what is now known as “Wyoming’s Greater Sage grouse Core Area Protection Strategy.” Governor Matt Mead amended the order in 2015, updating habitat designations and definitions, and outlining the State’s permitting process and associated stipulations, among others. In 2017, he issued the State’s Compensatory Mitigation Framework and associated Executive Order 2018-3. To learn more and see the documents, please visit, https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Habitat/
